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(No Modl.) A, l 2 Sheets-,Sheet l H. Jr HOFFMAN.

FILING OASE AND DRAWER. No. 382,875. Patented May 15, 1888.

N. PETERS, Phuw-Lhngrnpher, Wash nnnnnnnn C.

2 sheetssheet (No Model.)

H J HOFFMAN FILING CASE AND DRAWER.

Patented May 15, 1888.

NITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HORACE J. HOFFMAN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FILING CASE AND DRAWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,875, dated May 15,1888.

Application filed September 23,1887. Serial No. 250.464. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE J. HOFFMAN, of Milwaukee, in the county oi'Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Filing Cases and Drawers; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The objects of my invention are mainly the greatest strength attainablewith lightness, simplicity, neatness, and economy of construction, toexclude dust from the drawers, to facilitate the manipulation of saiddrawers, &c.

It consists, essentially, of certain peculiaritles of construction andarrangement, hereinafter specifically set forth.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inthe several figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of my iinproved filing case and drawers.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, of a portion ofthe filing-case. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, ofa portion of said case, said section being taken in a, plane at rightangles to the front and back of said case. Fig. l is a detail inperspective of a portion of one of the upright partitions, showing themethod of attaching the same to the top and base of the case. Fig. 5 isa perspective detail of one of the pigeon-hole shelves, its connections,and one of the hangers for suspending the drawers. Fig. 6 is aperspective View of one ofthe ling-drawers. Fig. 7 is a cross-section ofa 'portion of one of the drawerbottoms, and Fig. 8 is a view of one endof a pigeon-hole shelf employed with the lingdrawers.

A represents the case or cabinet, which may be of any desired size andcontain any desired number and arrangement of drawers and pigeon-holes,all of either kind, or part pigeonholes and part drawers. It ispreferably formed of thin sheet metal, with upright partitions a a andsides a a of the same material extending from top to bottom of the caseand rolled at their front edges over wires as a, to stiften them andform jambs which iit snugly against the sides of the drawer-fronts whenthey are closed, thus forming close joints between them and the case,excluding dust from the drawers and giving aneat appearance and iinishto the case, Figs. l, 2, and 3. The sides a a of the case are folded attheir rear edges at right angles inward over or outside of the back a2,which is riveted thereto, as shown in Fig. 2. The several uprightpartitionsa a are also bent at their rear edges into right-angledilanges which are riveted to the inner side of the back a2, as shown inthe same h gure. The back is bent at its upper edge, as shown in Fig. 3,over the rear edge of the top I, and is similarly bent at the lower edge(not shown) under the bottom.

H is the base of the case, formed of a strip of band-iron or othersuitable material, upon the upper edge of which rest the rods or wiresa3 a3, slits being made in the sides and partitions a and a at the topof said base,below which flanges a4 are turned and riveted to the insideof said base, as shown in Fig. 4t. The upper ends ofthe rods or wires aa3 pass through perforations in the top Land a strengtheningstrip ofband iron or steel, e, placed around its front and side edges and areupset, as shown -in said Fig. 4.

E is a metallic or other suitable cornice, formed with a horizontalflange or foot,which rests upon said strip c, and is riveted thereto, asshown in Fig. 3.

C G are sheetmetal pigeon -hole sh elves bent at the sides into thedepending stiffeningflanges c c and folded at the ends, as shown in Fig.3, to receive and engage the tie-rods D D, upon which they are strungand supported, and which extend from side to side of the case at thefront and back thereof, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and.

' It will be observed that the rear tie-rods D pass through the loops c2at the rear ends of the shelves C, as seen vin Fig. 3, but that at thefront side of the case the rods D pass just behind the depending loopsor anges o', to form stops for the drawerbails G when the drawers aredrawn out, and thus prevent the outer ends of said drawers from droppingand lift ing the bails against the shelves above.

`When the shelves O C are employed with drawers, the loops at the rearends are bent upwardly to form positive stops o3 for the rear ends ofthe drawers B B when the same are closed.

l The rods D D are fastened at the ends to the sides of the case by nutsor other suitable means, and serve when thus secured to bind thesections of the case together, as shown in Fig. f Z, and with the rodsor wires a3 a3 give rigidity and firmness to the case, permitting theuse of vcry light sheet iron or metal in its construction.

B are the filing-drawers, the bottom b and sides b b of each of whichare formed of a single sheet of metal bent to forni a centralylongitudinal retaining-groove, b2, for the foot I5f 0f the rest orcompressor-standard F and folded at the sides to form dependingbearingflanges-Z3 b3, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, upon which the drawerrests and slides, thus reducing the friction and facilitating itsmovement.

The fronts of the drawers B B are each formed also of a single piece ofsheet metal bent rearwardly at the sides toforin the stiffeinng wings orflanges b* bf, which are riveted to the side pieces, b b, as seen inFig. 6. Each drawer is provided, 4as shown in Fig. 1, with a handle orpull, a, and a pocket for an index card.

To the rear ends of the sides b b of each drawer B is riveted orotherwise suitably at tached, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, aband-iron or steel bail, G, which extends upwardly to the top of thepigeon-hole or conipartment in which the drawer slides, and strikesagainst the front loop or flange, c', of the shelf above it, underneaththe adjacent tierod D, which prevents said bail from being raised by theweight of the projecting drawer and its contents and from lifting saidshelf when the drawer is pulled out, and thus suspends it in ahorizontal position, as shown in Fig. l, exposing the contents in aconvenient manner for its ready manipulation. The bails G also permitthe insertion of the compress ors F fr om the rear ends of the drawers,thus dispensing with the necessity of drop-head drawers, which haveproved by use to be unsatisfactory in operation.

The bails G, leaving the rear ends of the drawers open, allow thecompressors F to be moved back to the extreme ends of the drawers, andthe full capacity of the latter thus utilized.

Another marked advantage in the hails G G is that they furnish means forhanging the drawers upon hooks o o, secured to the front of the case A,as shown in Fig. l. This arrangement is particularly convenient withcases in which the upper tier or tiers of drawei's are too high topermit of readily examining their contents. In such cases the hooks orhangers o o are placed at an elevation convenient for the manipulationof the contents of the drawers suspended thereon. The hooks are set sothat the bail G of a drawer hung thereon will rest against the pulls n aof the two adjoining drawers in the adjacent tier.

The sides b b4 of the drawer-fronts, fitting groove,

closely against the rolls formed over the wires a a3 in the front edgesof the partit-ions a a and sides a a, and extending back of them whenthe drawers are closed, effectually exclude dust therefrom, and thesides b b of the drawers running between said rolls clear the partitionsa a, and thereby greatly facilitate the movement of the drawers.

The front corners of the shelves C C are cut out, as seen in Fig. 5,thus allowing them to extend forward to the center of the wired rolls aici" in the front edges of the sides a a and partitions aa, and giving aneat finished appearance to the case.

The compressorarms F are each formed at the base with shoulders ff,which bear upon the bottom b on each side of the groove b2, and whenpressure is exerted laterally against the upper end of the compressorserve as a fulci'um which elevates the front end of the footf againstthe overhanging edges of said causing said foot to bind therein andprevent the sliding or movement of the said compressor. r

The indexcard is inserted from the rear into the pocket or frameprovided therefor on the front of the filing-drawer B through a slit, m.(Shown in Fig. (i.)

l. claimm l. The combination, with a filing case having sheet-metalsides or partitions which are rolled or foldedv at their front edgesinto ribs or beads, of drawers having inwardly-turned side wings orflanges which fit closely against said ribs or beads when the drawersare closed, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a filingfease having upright partitions, oftransverse rods passing through said case from side to side, andsheet-metal shelves bent at the sides into stiffening-flanges andinserted between said upright partitions and supported upon saidtransverse rods, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a filing-case, of upright sheet-metal partitions,transverse tierods passing through said partitions and secured at theends in the sides of the case, and sheet-metal shelves bent at the endsto engage said tie-rods, which support them and bind the sections of thecase together, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 4. Thecombination, in a ling-case, of transverse rods, uprightpartitions, andsheet-metal shelves bent at the sides into vertical stiftening-flanges,and looped or turned at the ends to receive or engage said transverserods, upon lwhich they are supported, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. In a filing-case, a drawer the bottom and sides of which are composedof a single piece of sheet metal folded at the sides to forni on thebottom depending bearing-flanges, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

6. In a filing-case, a drawer having a sheetmetal bottom folded to forma longitudinal retaining-groove, in combination with a sliding supportor compressor working in said groove, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth. 7. In a filing-case, a drawer having its sides andbottom formed of a single piece of sheet metal folded longitudinally toform a retaininggroove in the bottom for receiving and holding thecompressor-foot, and depending bearing-danges at the sides of thebottom, and a front piece bent rearwardly at the sides into stiffeningflanges or wings, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a fling-case, a drawer open at the rear end and provided with abail attached thereto7 in combination with a compressor working in alongitudinal groove in the bottom of said drawer, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

9. In a filing-case7 the combination, with a compartment in which thedrawer slides; provided at the upper side of the front or open end witha ledge or projection, of a drawer working in said compartment andprovided at its rear end, which is open, with an upright bail arrangedto engage said ledge or projection when the drawer is open, and thussuspend the same, projecting horizontally from the case, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a lingease provided with drawercompartments, the combination ofdrawers provided at their rear ends with upright suspension-bails, and ahook or hanger attached to said case, so as to hold a drawer projectinghorizontally therefrom in a convenient position for manipulating itscontents, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

l1. In combination with a filing-ease, a filing-drawer having a metallicfront bent at the sides into stiffening wings or flanges, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

l2. In combination with a filing case, a drawer provided with a cardpocket or holder on the front, and having a slit through the front pieceor section for the insertion of a card from the rear or back side intosaidpocket or holder, substantially as and for vthe purposes set forth.

13. In combination with a ling case, a drawer provided at its rear endwith a suspension-bail, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In a filing-ease, a drawer having its bottom and sides formed of asingle piece of sheet metal folded longitudinally through the bottominto a groove having overhanging edges, and at the sides into dependingbearing-fianges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

15. The combination, in a filing-case, of upright sheet-metal sides orpartitions rolled at one or both edges over wire rods, which are rivetedat the upper ends in the top section of the case, and rest at theirlower ends upon the base and flanges turned upon the edges of said sidesor partitions, and riveted to the inside of said base, substantiall y asand for the purn poses set forth.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

HORACE J. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. L. Goss, GEORGE M. GoLL.

